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But for some ill-advised Tweets, this would have been a great week for Bay Village native Patricia Heaton.

Sunday, she celebrated her 54th birthday. Tuesday, Warner Bros. Domestic Television announced that Heaton's ABC comedy, "The Middle," had been sold for syndication in 92 percent of the country. "The Middle" will wrap its third season in May and, typically, a sitcom needs to be on the air for five seasons before repeats are sold for five-day-a-week airings.

Thursday, production began in Canada on "The Christmas Heart," a Hallmark Channel movie she is producing. It was written by her brother, Plain Dealer columnist Michael Heaton.

And the two-time Emmy winner for "Everybody Loves Raymond" is looking forward to the ceremony in May where she'll receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

What could possibly go wrong?

You already know the answer. This was the week when Heaton was dealing with the public-relations firestorm created by her Feb. 29 Tweets bashing Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke.

After testifying before a congressional committee in support of a proposal to require mandatory health insurance for birth control, Fluke was called "a slut" and a "prostitute" by radio host Rush Limbaugh. Heaton, an outspoken conservative, sent a series of Tweets to about 70,000 Twitter followers she calls "Tweatons":

"Hey G-Town Gal: If your parents have to pay for your birth control, maybe they should get a say in who you sleep with! Instant birth control!"

Although Heaton never resorted to Limbaugh-like name-calling -- and "The Middle"hasn't lost advertising sponsors -- the tone of the Tweets was unquestionably snide. Last Saturday, she sent an apology to Fluke: "Mea culpa Sandra! Wasn't being respectful 2 u re my tweets . . . Don't like you being dissed -- so sorry."

After temporarily closing her Twitter account, Heaton sent another contrite message on Monday: "I apologized to Ms Fluke last week. I may not agree with her views but I didn't treat her with respect and I'm sorry. I was wrong. Mea Culpa."

By Wednesday, news of the sensational syndication deal for "The Middle" was overshadowed by headlines about these damage-control apologies.

This hardly was the first time Heaton has weighed in on a controversial issue. In 2005, she was critical of the decision to remove life support for Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman who had been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years.

Heaton frequently uses Twitter to express her opinions. Here is a sample of thoughts sent to the Tweatons:

"Really, Herman Cain? You thought you could carry on like that and no one would ever find out? Arrogant!"

"Does Planned Parenthood think Komen OWES them? How about THANKING Komen 4 years of support?! Or 4 leading the fight against breast cancer?"

"Sobbed all the way to work this morning. My dear friend and fearless warrior Andrew Breitbart has passed away. Can't stop crying."

"How does Chris Matthews still have a job?"

"What is George Stephanopoulos' fascination with contraception about? Stop making a fool of yourself, George."

Reached by phone Thursday, Heaton declined to expand on the apologies.

The good news for heris that this Twitter flap already may be going the way of Alec Baldwin's angry Tweets about American Airlines, causing little collateral damage.

Unlike Limbaugh's radio show, ABC is not reporting any loss of advertising or a significant number of complaints. WEWS Channel 5, the Cleveland ABC affiliate that carries Heaton's show, says no advertiser has pulled out and that the station has received only four negative phone calls.

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